MANSFIELD – Where there's "Smoke," there's Jimmy Langhurst — two former basketball stars from the area who found each other.

Actually, Langhurst, the Willard great turned college basketball coach, found Robert "Smoke" Jones III three years ago, but it wasn't until now that he was able to successfully recruit the erstwhile Mansfield Senior Tyger.

Jones, who played two years of junior college ball in Colorado and started last year for Idaho State, a Division I program, will use his last year of eligibility at DII Le Moyne College in Syracuse, N.Y.

Langhurst became part of Ohio basketball lore when he and Upper Sandusky's Jon Diebler each scored 55 points in a 2006 district title shootout, won by Willard 101-98.

He's in his third year working under Pat Beilein (whose father, John, is Michigan's head coach) at Le Moyne, coming off a 22-7 season in which it was nationally-ranked, won its league for the first time and qualified for the NCAA Tournament.

Transfers have played a big role in Le Moyne's success.

"Sometimes it's tough with transfers and they have trouble fitting in," Langhurst said, "but these kids we brought in were hungry — and big Rob will be the same way. He just wants to win. He can guard, 1 to 5, and shoot the 3-ball. He'll be a great fit in our system."

Growing up, Langhurst played on the same AAU team with Jones' brother Tevenn. When Langhurst was an assistant at Indiana University of Pennsylvania, Tevenn let him know his brother was starring at Northeastern Junior College.

"We liked what we saw, but he wanted to go back for another year and then on to a Division I team," Langhurst said. "I recruited him again when I got to Le Moyne, but he went to Idaho State.

"I guess the third time's a charm."

Former Mansfield Senior star Robert "Smoke" Jones III guards Wisconsin's Bronson Koenig while playing for Idaho State last season.(Photo: Mary Langenfeld/USA TODAY Sports)

The 6-foot-8 Jones averaged 17 points in conference play at Northeastern and nearly eight points at Idaho State, with a high of 22 vs. Weber State. But the team won only six games and he wanted to get back to the success he enjoyed at Senior High and in juco ball.

He can play immediately for Le Moyne.

"(Langhurst) obviously has a history with my family, playing with my brother and my dad (the original Robert "Smoke" Jones, a Malabar star) coaching them," Jones said. "But I didn't want that to be a factor. I wanted to go somewhere where I could grow and have connectivity.

"I felt it all happened for a reason. (Langhurst) left his school (IUP). I left my school. I feel like this is going to be a great opportunity."

Jones, whose dream is to play pro ball, already owns an associate degree in business management and is pursuing a psychology degree.

Tygers fans may remember Jones coming back from a broken wrist his senior year, his only year of football, to catch three touchdown passes in a playoff win. But he needed heart surgery that winter, moved to Colorado to be with his mom, Tylah Howard, and played in a handful of games for his school there.

He's had no health issues since the surgery.

"They literally went in through my stomach and burned a valve shut to re-route the stream (of blood)," Jones said. "It was just going in circles in my chest, not getting to where it supposed to.

"I've always had faith. A lot of people said (my career) would be over, but that's not our decision, ultimately, so it never crossed my mind I wouldn't play again."